H&M Just Launched a Game-Changing New Retail Brand, Arket

The concept is the Swedish company's take on the modern market (as well as a move to take it another step beyond fast fashion), which means stores will offer a variety of products for women, men, children, and the home. And some locations will even house cafes that serve "new Nordic" cuisine.

"The brand DNA is timeless, crisp, quality, and warmth," Ulrika Bernhardtz, Arket’s creative director, tells BoF. "Timeless is style beyond trend. And crisp is the counterpart to that: to be always relevant, modern and fresh. Quality is not only the feel of garments; it's also how they are produced. Warmth is about being genuine and personal."

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There are other elements that differentiate it from the H&M label: Arket's merchandise will have somewhat higher price points and will include "a selection of products from non-H&M brands."

As for the name, Bernhardtz explains how the word's meaning in Swedish ("sheet of paper") connects to the mentality behind the new venture: “It both relates to our origin in the Nordic tradition of functional, long-lasting design and symbolizes the blank sheet, the sense of optimism and possibility we felt creating this new brand."